Operating mechanism for folding the floors of folding play-yards



Aug. 14, 1956 H JQLANDRY 2,758,318

OPERATING MEOHANISM FOR FOLDING THE FLOORS OF FOLDING PLAY-YARDS Filed Dec. 20, 1954 ATTORNEY OPERATING 'li/IECHANSM FOR FOLDING THE FLOORS OF FOLDING PLAY-YARDS Henry J. Landry, Ashburnham, Mass.

Application December 20, 1954, Serial No. 476,234

6 Claims. (Cl. 5-99) ri`his invention relates to a folding play-yard the principal parts of which may be substantially as disclosed and described in my copending application Serial No. 471,294 filed November 26, 1954, and the object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improvement over the operating mechanism for raising or folding the .door parts of the folding play-yard,

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an operator operated treadle which is located at an angle to the horizontal in normally extended condition of the floor parts and which is constructed to have a 90 swing under iniiuence of the foot when it is depressed to raise the licor parts, said treadle being directly connected to one rod underlying one iioor part for raising the same and having a pin-and-slot connection with a pivoted link directly connected to another rod for raising another door section, said treadle and link forming an operating linkage which provides for smoother folding operation and for a simplified construction that is less expensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a View in front elevation of a play-yard according to the invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, looking in the direction of arrow 2, parts being roken away and in section; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views on the respective lines 3 3 and 4 4 in Fig. l.

Only so much of the present mechanism is disclosed as is necessary to disclose the present invention, reference being made to my copending application above identified to illustrate a form of the remainder of the construction of the folding play-yard.

ln the present case regarding Figs. l and 2, there is shown a play-yard which is provided with a central cross beam it) upon which at opposite sides thereof there are swingably mounted a pair of folding floor parts 12 and 14. rThese tioor parts are shown in Fig. 2 in horizontally extending condition ready for use and in dotted lines in Fig. 1 as raised or folded.

in raised condition of the floor parts, the side walls generally indicated at 16 and 18 may be in-folded so as to come into substantial parallelism with the oor parts for convenience in storage and transport of the play-yard.

The in-folding side walls 16 and 18 are articulated as shown or in any other way desired or convenient and both are hinged at opposite edges to an upright standard or vertical support 20 which may be provided with a caster 22; and it is to be understood that there may be a similar upright support at the opposite end of the central supporting beam 10. Suitable stops may be provided as at 2d to support the door parts 12, 14 in horizontal condition.

lu order to raise the floor parts, there are provided a pair of bent rods 26 and 28, each of which is provided with a right-angled portion 30 and 32 respectively guided rv t C if by L-shaped brackets or the like at the under side of the respective tioor parts and indicated at 34.

Looking at Fig. 1, if rod 28 is rotated in a clockwise direction and rod 26 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, the respective angled ends 30 and 32 will be likewise rotated and cause the floor parts to rise about their hinged axes as represented by hinges 36.

ln order to turn these rods in the way described, there is provided a foot treadle generally indicated at 38, this foot treadle being iixedly secured to an extending end 40 of rod 28, and the treadle is secured to rod 28 in a relation which will locate the treadle in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. l when the rod 28 is positioned with its extending angled end 32 horizontal.

The treadle 38 is provided with a pin or rivet or the like 42 and this pin or rivet passes loosely through a slot 44 in a link 46 which is lixedly secured to an extending end 48 of rod 26 (see particularly Fig. 4). It will be seen that link 4d is controlled and operated to be angularly moved in a direction opposite to the motion of treadle 33, so that when the treadle is depressed from the solid line to the dotted line in Fig. 1, the link 46 is depressed likewise, thus turning the rods 26 and 28 as above described to raise the floor parts 12 and 14.

This invention will be seen to provide a less expensive and more easily operated mechanism for raising the folding floor parts of a folded play-yard and which present constructions which will not get out of order and are much easier to assemble and operate.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, l do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A folding play-yard comprising pivoted floor parts and a pivoted treadle construction to engage and raise the same, the treadle and iioor parts being pivoted on axes parallel to each other, said treadle construction including a separate member engaging each separate floor part.

2. A folding play-yard comprising pivoted iioor parts and a pivoted treadle construction to engage and raise the same, the treadle and floor parts Vbeing pivoted on parallel axes, said treadle construction including a treadle and a separate member engaging each separate floor part, each separate member comprising a rod extending under its respective floor part and connected to the treadle for angular movements as the treadle is pivoted.

3. A folding play-yard comprising pivoted floor parts and pivoted 'treadle construction to engage and raise the same, the treadle and floor parts being pivoted on parallel axes, said treadle construction including a treadle and a separate member engaging each separate iioor part, each separate member comprising a rod extending under its respective floor part and being angularly movable as the treadle is pivoted, the rods moving angularly in opposite directions, and an offset portion on each rod, the offset portions extending away from each other in one position of the rods and being generally parallel in folded condition of the floor.

4. In a folding play-yard having multiple folding floor parts, mechanism for folding said floor parts including a rotatable rod for each floor part, and radial means on each rod engaging one of lthe floor parts for folding the same upon rotation of the rods, a manually operated treadle fixed to one rod, a link for the other rod, and inter-engaging means between the treadle and link for operating one by the other to angularly move both rods simultaneously upon operation of the treadle.

5. in a folding play-yard having multiple folding floor parts, mechanism for folding said oor parts including a rod rotatable on its longitudinal axis for each floor part,

and radially arranged means on each rod engaging the respective oor part for folding the same upon rotation of the rod, means on one rod to rotate the same, a link for the other rod, and inter-engaging means between the link and said secondmamed means for operating one by the other to angularly move both rods simultaneously.

6. The mechanism of claim 5 wherein said interengaging means comprises a pinaand-slot connection.

1,586,505 Beaver May 25, 1926 Landry Nov. 22, Landry Sept. 19, White Oct. 30, Lyttaker Dec. 22, Schierner June 22,

FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Mar. 20,

Germany Apr. 7, 

